One of the biggest aspects of mobile technology is the ability to be entertained on the go. As streaming options become more ubiquitous, we are beginning to see more and more options for making our smartdevices even better media hubs.

So what happens when we toss together a media tuner with DVR sensibilities, a connected device, a usable companion app and the enviable drive to cut the cable cord? One might get an interesting device called Simple.TV 2.

This unit has several elements, and to completely test it out, Simple.TV sent us a monster review package that contained the Simple.TV and other pieces that are NOT usually sold with its own unit: an external hard drive and an HDTV antenna. These, along with a Simple.TV account and the companion Simple.TV Android app, are slated to work wonders.

The setup is fairly intuitive, even if a bit hectic in parts; the antenna goes up, and it (along with the hard drive are connected to the tuner itself. The tuner also needs to be connected physically to an internet-ready modem. The final pieces are to register the Simple.TV unit and find stations online via the scan utility. Now, I did find this part to be temperamental, but when it worked, I was blown away by the quality of the stream. It looked good, and sounded good. Individual series can be recorded, and live TV is also available. The “Guide” utility allows one to manage shows and to check available stations, and it is possible to search shows as well.

My biggest gripes are the number of extra elements needed to make the stream happen, and the wired aspect of said elements. As noted, one needs an antenna, hard drive, and wired ethernet connection, in addition to power; the wired ethernet limits placement somewhat. I think a built-in hard drive would be an advantage; I think even the potential increase in sticker price would be worth get rid of one more accessory’s accessory. To be fair, the other elements can be used in other endeavors.

The channel scan can be a bit finicky as well, and there can be discrepancies in what is found on this and other similar peripherals. I would have also liked more control from within the application.

Is it it worth it? With soaring cable costs and the ability to use this setup with TVs and mobile devices, it’s definitely worth a look.